LOS ANGELES — Being progressive is in restaurant Mohawk Bend's DNA. 

As general manager, Lisanne Magnus says that what sets them apart from the competition is what's on the menu. 


What You Need To Know

  • The Jybe app aims to empower and encourage consumers to direct their meal delivery orders to restaurants that are using eco-friendly packaging

  • Los Angeles County creates about 28 million tons of solid waste each year, with the majority headed to already taxed landfills

  • According to LA County, less than 10% of all single-use plastics is recycled

  • Plastic waste creates serious environmental and economic damage to greater LA, and food-service items have an outsized negative impact

"One hundred percent of our menu is vegan, but we have non-vegan options for almost every single item on the menu as well," Magnus said.

While the restaurant is vegan and carnivore approved, it's also environmentally approved. It's a priority for them to be sustainable in all things, including their takeout packaging. 

"Every decision that we make, we're making with our community, both locally and globally in mind," Magnus said.

Mohawk Bend thought its takeout packaging was fully sustainable but learned they could improve after a call from the Jybe app. The company helps restaurants transition to materials that do the least harm to the environment and connects customers to these restaurants. 

"So they were able to help us take every single item that we were using in our takeout program and find a replacement for it that they were 100% confident was sustainable," Magnus said.

The Jybe app's headquarters are in Atwater Village. Paul Kradin, Jybe's chief sustainability officer, noted that they've identified recyclable, biodegradable or renewable items in different combinations and made from materials such as aluminum, birch wood and paper. 

"It will biodegrade over time if it's disposed of in a landfill, if it gets blown to the side of the street," Kradin said of coffee lids that cost the same as plastic. 

Jybe's mission is also educational because many people don't realize how broken the recycling system is. The reality is only 9% of America's single-use plastic is recycled each year, and that number is skewed. 

"The only way for us to make a real difference is to stop using it in the first place," Kradin said.

For Magnus and Mohawk Bend, the way for them to make a difference is to make choices that don't contribute to the plastic pollution crisis. 

"We're not making all of our decisions based on how to cut corners and save money, but more on, how can we impact our community in a really positive way?" said Magnus.